Device for holding a collection bag

ABSTRACT

A device for suspending a collection bag in a wheeled garbage bin. The device includes a continuous loop means, a pair of retainer brackets projecting from the continuous loop means, positioned and configured to engage opposed interior corner regions of the wheeled garbage bin at or adjacent the lip of the bin, and suspension means to rest on one or more upwardly facing edges of the wheeled garbage bin. The device may be located for suspending an open collection bag in the bin.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a device for holding collection bags, and in particular to a device for suspending a collection bag in a wheeled garbage bin.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Establishments such as hospitals, nursing homes and hotels all turn over large amounts of linen on a daily basis. A significant logistical issue is the recovery of the soiled linen and its transport to either an internal or external laundry for cleaning.

Conventional practice in establishments such as hospitals, nursing homes and hotels is for hospital staff to fill linen bags in standard linen trolleys that are wheeled to an unloading station. There, the filled bags are normally lifted out of the trolleys to be placed in linen company skips.

The linen bags and the trolleys are typically open and thus contact with possibly infectious materials can occur and an odour may be present.

The linen bags are typically not enclosed by walls and thus contact with sharps mistakenly left in soiled linen may occur.

A holder for flexible collection bags is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,352,225. The holder is a self-contained wheeled device comprising a frame of tubular components. The collection bag hangs freely from a bag supporting portion. There is a lid for the bag but the bottom of the bag is not enclosed within any walls. The holder is specifically designed for storing and mounting a supply of flexible collection bags in a rolled web form. When filled, the holder is such that a person must manually handle the bag to remove it, by raising the bag supporting portion and moving the bag either upwardly or downwardly and away from the holder.

Another device for suspending a collection bag from a bin is disclosed in GB patent 2351958. A bag is suspended by a removable attachment which engages a side edge of a wheeled garbage bin. The attachment can be used to suspend a bag either outside the bin or inside it. The collection bag is for holding material for recycling. The removable attachment includes a straight metal strip, over which an edge of the bag is folded. A U-shaped strip then slides over the metal strip and the bag to hold it in position. Alternatively, the straight metal strip includes a clip for engaging an edge of the bag. Because only one side portion of the bag is held and the remainder of the bag therefore hangs freely, the bag is not held in an open position. To remove a filled bag from the bin, the clip needs to be disengaged and the bag manually lifted away from the bin.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an improved device for holding collection bags, which is adaptable to the collection of refuse and/or soiled linen, and is convenient to use when depositing the refuse or linen in the bag.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the invention provides a device for suspending a collection bag in a wheeled garbage bin, the device including:

continuous loop means;

a pair of retainer brackets projecting from the continuous loop means, positioned and configured to engage opposed interior corner regions of the wheeled garbage bin at or adjacent the lip of the bin; and

suspension means to rest on one or more upwardly facing edges of the wheeled garbage bin;

whereby the device may be located for suspending an open collection bag in the bin.

Preferably, the device is dimensioned for suspending a collection bag in a wheeled garbage bin of the kind that includes a handle which may be grasped by a person for tilting and/or moving the bin about on its ground wheels.

Advantageously, the suspension means is on the retainer brackets. The suspension means may be integral tabs which rest on upwardly facing edges at the interior corner regions of the bin with which the retainer brackets are engaged.

Typically, the upwardly facing edges are segments of the lip of the main upper opening of the wheeled garbage bin.

The retainer brackets preferably substantially conform to the shape of the interior corner regions of the wheeled garbage bin and thereby locate the device against lateral movement.

Advantageously, the retainer brackets include a connecting portion from the loop means, the connecting portions being shaped so as to define a space directly underlying the loop means, while not restricting the wrapping of the rim of the collection bag under the loop means.

The continuous loop means may be generally circular, ie a ring, to enable easy use with collection bags comprising soiled linen bags.

The device is typically removable, however it may include a locking means to prevent removal from the wheeled garbage bin.

The device is preferably made from metal, but may be made from any other suitable material, such as a heavy gauge plastic. A particularly convenient construction may be polymer coated steel or aluminium.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a side view of a device according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 shows a plan view of the device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a front perspective view of the device of FIGS. 1 and 2 mounted in a wheeled garbage bin of a kind that includes a handle; and

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the device on the line 4-4 in FIG. 3, additionally with a collection bag suspended from the device.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The drawings show a device 10 for suspending a collection bag 12 in a wheeled garbage bin 14.

Bin 14 is of the kind that includes a handle 17 that may be grasped by a person for tilting and/or moving it about on its ground wheels 11. Such bins 14 are common in commercial and domestic environments and are commonly referred to as “wheelie bins”. A bin 14 particularly useful for this application is a 120 litre wheelie bin. Bin 14 further includes a main upper opening 15, and a flat-topped lip 26 about this opening.

Device 10 includes a continuous loop means 16, which is illustrated as being circular in plan view but may be of any appropriate shape or size. In this embodiment, loop 16 is an annular ring of circular cross-section. Ring 16 is removably held in the main upper opening 15 of bin 14 by a pair of retainer brackets 18, 20, which are positioned and configured to engage opposed corner regions 22, 24 of the interior wall 13 of bin 14, adjacent lip 26, to prevent lateral movement, eg twisting and turning of the device when bag 12 is being filled.

Suspension means in the form of tabs 28, 30 are also provided to rest on one or more upwardly facing edges of bin 14. In the illustrated embodiment as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, suspension tabs 28, 30 rest on lip 26 at corner regions 22, 24, preventing downward movement. Suspension tabs 28, 30 are illustrated as being integral with retainer brackets 18, 20, however they may extend from a different part of ring 16.

Retainer brackets 18, 20 substantially conform to the shape of corner regions 22, 24. Retainer brackets 18, 20 can be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3 as comprising flat strips bent to form three portions, ie respective end portions 32, 34, that are substantially or nearly perpendicular to one another and abut respective sides of wall 13, and a middle portion 36 that lies across the actual corner 22 a, 24 a. Suspension tabs 28, 30 extend integrally outwardly from the upper edges of middle portions 36.

Retainer brackets 18, 20 include connecting portions 38, 40 in the form of bent rods extending from ring 16. Connecting rods 38, 40 extend inwardly and downwardly from ring 16 at first and then curve outwardly towards retainer brackets 18, 20, joining at middle portion 36. The downward angles of connecting portions 38, 40 elevate ring 16 above lip 26, making accessibility to the opening of collection bag 12 easier. The self-looping design of connecting portions 38, 40 creates an annular space 42 directly underlying ring 16 that is freely accessible from its outside. Once the device 10 is in position on bin 16, a collection bag can be dropped through ring 16. The rim 44 of bag 12 is folded over ring 16, a drawstring 46 in rim 44 is tightened and becomes positioned in space 42. This secures bag 12 to ring 16 and bag 12 is suspended with its opening 48 fully accessible. It will be appreciated that the arrangement of connecting rods 38, 40 ensures that they do not restrict the wrapping of the rim of the bag under the ring.

Where a bag 12 is used that does not include a drawstring 46, suitable clips (not shown) may be used to secure bag 12 to ring 16.

When bag 12 has been filled, drawstring 46 is slackened, allowing bag 12 and its contents to fall into bin 14. Similarly, if no drawstring 46 is present, the clips holding bag 12 can be removed and bag 12 will fall into bin 14. Device 10 can then be removed from bin 14, by simply lifting it out of position. Bin 14 with bag 12 can then be manually moved if necessary, to a storage location, and in due course emptied using mechanical means, eg a pneumatic bin tipper, already known for emptying such kinds of bins 14. This eliminates any manual lifting of full bags 12.

Because of the manner in which device 10 locates in the bin, the movement of the lid 9 of the bin 12 is not restricted, and so the lid can be kept closed except when linen is being deposited into bag 12. Odours are thereby minimised, and any risk of contact with the contents of a bag in the bin is eliminated.

The above described device 10 and system is particularly suitable for soiled linen collection in establishments such as hospitals, nursing homes and hotels. However, it may also be used for collecting refuse in similar establishments or other commercial or domestic environments.

In general, device 10 is convenient to use and minimises the manual handling of filled collection bags. 

1. A device for suspending a collection bag in a wheeled garbage bin, the device including: a continuous loop means; a pair of retainer brackets projecting from the continuous loop means, positioned and configured to engage opposed interior corner regions of the wheeled garbage bin at or adjacent the lip of the bin; and suspension means to rest on one or more upwardly facing edges of the wheeled garbage bin; whereby the device may be located for suspending an open collection bag in the bin.
 2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the device is dimensioned for suspending a collection bag in a wheeled garbage bin of the kind that includes a handle which may be grasped by a person for tilting and/or moving the bin about on its ground wheels.
 3. A device according to claim 1, wherein the suspension means are on the retainer brackets.
 4. A device according to claim 3, wherein the suspension means are integral tabs which rest on upwardly facing edges at the interior corner regions of the bin with which the retainer brackets are engaged.
 5. A device according to claim 1, wherein the upwardly facing edges are segments of the lip of the main upper opening of the wheeled garbage bin.
 6. A device according to claim 2, wherein the upwardly facing edges are segments of the lip of the main upper opening of the wheeled garbage bin.
 7. A device according to claim 1, wherein the retainer brackets substantially conform to the shape of the interior corner regions of the wheeled garbage bin and thereby locate the device against lateral movement.
 8. A device according to claim 2, wherein the retainer brackets substantially conform to the shape of the interior corner regions of the wheeled garbage bin and thereby locate the device against lateral movement.
 9. A device according to claim 3, wherein the retainer brackets substantially conform to the shape of the interior corner regions of the wheeled garbage bin and thereby locate the device against lateral movement.
 10. A device according to claim 9, wherein the suspension means are integral tabs which rest on upwardly facing edges at the interior corner regions of the bin with which the retainer brackets are engaged.
 11. The device according to claim 1, wherein the retainer brackets include a connecting portion from the loop means, the connecting portions being shaped so as to define a space directly underlying the loop means, while not restricting the wrapping of a rim of the collection bag under the loop means.
 12. The device according to claim 3, wherein the retainer brackets include a connecting portion from the loop means, the connecting portions being shaped so as to define a space directly underlying the loop means, while not restricting the wrapping of a rim of the collection bag under the loop means.
 13. A device according to claim 12, wherein the suspension means are integral tabs which rest on upwardly facing edges at the interior corner regions of the bin with which the retainer brackets are engaged.
 14. The device according to claim 7, wherein the retainer brackets include a connecting portion from the loop means, the connecting portions being shaped so as to define a space directly underlying the loop means, while not restricting the wrapping of a rim of the collection bag under the loop means.
 15. A device according to claim 1, wherein the continuous loop means is a ring.
 16. A device according to claim 3, wherein the continuous loop means is a ring.
 17. A device according to claim 16, wherein the suspension means are integral tabs which rest on upwardly facing edges at the interior corner regions of the bin with which the retainer brackets are engaged.
 18. A device according to claim 11, wherein the continuous loop means is a ring.
 19. A device according to claim 1, wherein the device includes a locking means to prevent removal from the wheeled garbage bin.
 20. A device according to claim 1, wherein the device is made from metal. 